Removing Win 8.1 startup & lock screens problem

I've run into an issue which is stumping me. I'm trying to remove the start-up & lock screen windows from a Win 8.1 PC. Under normal circumstances the problem is very easy to resolve by simply deactivating the checkbox for "Users must enter a valid name etc...." .
In the "user accounts" window there are three separate accounts, two of which have a *.Hotmail.com extension. I believe these are causing the problems but I'm not sure at this point.

I deleted one of these accounts but it reappears automatically after a reboot. At this point I'm at a loss and would appreciate any suggestions in resolving this issue.


Thank you.

Hello persius,

As a test, try setting up netplwiz againg using the method in option one of the tutorial below, but be sure to select the correct account and enter its password.

Log On User Account Automatically at Windows 8 Startup

Hi Brink

Thanks for the information. I'll apply it when I visit them in the next few days. I'll let you know if it worked.

Hello Brink

Unfortunately that did not help. For reasons which I cannot explain, this one PC has the ability to create issues which are not common and can't be resolved by the standard solutions.

Thanks for your time and help.